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SMART Recovery® Podcast

SMART Recovery

SMART Recovery® Podcast, a library of talks on addiction from the leading self-empowering peer support recovery group in the world. Enjoy entertaining, thought-provoking discussion with experts in the field of science-based addiction treatment and recovery.

SMART Recovery provides services for those overcoming addictions of all types.

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20 episodes
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Avg 39 min
English

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Monday · 46 min
The Message is We Love You
What the issue of "harm reduction" means in both principle and practice can be confusing. Does it mean endorsing negative behaviors or not caring what people do to themselves? Or does it mean supporting people wherever they are in their recovery journey and stages of change? According to the folks at the nonprofit agency Franklin Street Harm Reduction (FSHR) in Olympia, Washington it means, first and foremost, treating all individuals they encounter with respect, dignity and love. In this podcast we speak with FSHR Co-Director Christina McVeigh and Lyssa Hammons, a Harm Reduction Support Specialist at the agency. Christina is a licensed MH counselor whose career has focused on Olympia's youth and families for the last twenty years. Lyssa is an advocate who brings her lived experience to the outreach work she does as she addresses complex social issues and offers support. We have a wonderful conversation that touches on what low barrier services in the context of harm reduction means, how trauma gets addressed at FSHR, and what it means to stay connected to one's outcome rather than another person's outcome. Additional links: Wildflower Alliance Intentional Peer Support
August 26 · 35 min
Helping People Do What They Already Know
It's often dificult for family and friends of those struggling with addictive behaviors to find the help they need as they navigate ongoing challenges and changes in circumstances. One resource that exists for families is called The Family Recovery Academy The founder of this organization is Amber Hollingsworth, a former addiction counselor. Amber has also developed a YouTube channel called "Put the Shovel Down" that offers practical recovery advice and is approaching one million subscribers. Amber says she practices "nondenominational recovery" where the specific principles and practices underneath a recovery pathway are not as important as a person finding that pathway useful in their effort to change. She believes that most of those who are struggling already know what they need to do and her job is to help motivate them to make the change from within. Amber believes that building people up is going to produce better results than blaming, and that when our behaviors line up with our values then we like ourselves more and pursue positive achievements.
August 12 · 29 min
Cast Your Vision To The Future
Joseph Ryan has battled substance use for decades, and suffered a lot of trauma along the way. In that, he is certainly not unique. But where he went with those challenges and how he reached the other side with his current role as an aftercare coordinator is a story worth listening to. Joseph is a SMART Recovery Facilitator in Vermont and a huge proponent of making whatever changes are necessary to live a life you want to live, instead of succumbing to the crushing waves of addiction. In this podcast we talk about how incarceration became an accepted fact of life, how many individuals in his life were dealing with their own issues and were not able to support him, what an honest look in the mirror told Joseph about himself, and how he now encourages others to cast their vision to become the person they always wanted to be. Released 8/12/26
July 27 · 34 min
Recovery is Not Always Linear
Englewood Health provides a wide array of services, including operating an outpatient addiction medicine program in locations across northern New Jersey. This program delivers patient-centered, nonjudgmental, evidence-based care for people living with substance use disorders. Two key staff members of this program are Dr. Sharde McLeish and Richard Moses. Dr. McLeish specializes in addiction medicine and her main clinical interests are substance use disorders; community outreach and education; and wellness. She received her MD from St. George's University School of Medicine, in Grenada, West Indies, did an internal medicine residency at Englewood Hospital before completing an addiction medicine fellowship at Yale School of Medicine, in New Haven, CT. Richard Moses earned his MSW at Rutgers University and is a LCSW with additional certification in drag and alcohol counseling. He brings his lived experience to his work with a variety of individuals facing substance use and mental health challenges. In this podcast, McLeish and Moses share their personal and professional journeys and why they feel so passionate about helping others navigate their own recovery pathway. Released 7/27/26
July 15 · 37 min
Stay True to Your Purpose and All Will Be Well
John Shinholser is a long-time recovery advocate who has been widely recognized for his work in building and operating Recovery Community Organizations, or RCOs. He is co-founder of the McShin foundation, has served in numerous leadership capacities with the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance of Virginia and as a board member of Rubicon, one of Virginias most comprehensive treatment facilities. He has been recognized for his work by the Virginia general assembly, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, the national nonprofit Faces and Voices of Recovery, and the Caron Foundation. He is also a United States Marine Corps member (ret.) and a person in long-term recovery. Released 7/15/26
June 23 · 38 min
Help for Heroes with Dr. Mark Fleming
Dr. Mark Fleming is Vice President-Clinical Operations for Lifepoint Behavioral Health. He is a licensed Psychologist and Healthcare Executive who has experience in a variety of settings including college counseling, in-patient stabilization, private practice, hospitals, and residential treatment units. Dr. Fleming currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel and Behavioral Health Officer in the United States Army. Of particular note is his work with the program Help for Heroes. This effort delivers trauma-informed, evidence-based treatment designed to address the mental health and substance use needs of active-duty service members, veterans, first responders, and other frontline professionals. In this podcast, Dr. Fleming discusses his work with a wide variety of clientele, the particular needs of frontline professionals, and why he gains so much satisfaction working with those seeking recovery.
June 2 · 43 min
We Are Saving Lives And Making A Difference
It's fair to say that the rural northwest corner of Kansas is a "treatment desert," with few options for individuals seeking help to change addictive behaviors. One bright spot is in Colby, home of High Point Advocacy & Resource Center. They offer a wide range of services, including counseling, family support services, and peer mentoring. Two of their certified Recovery Advocates are Tisha Beckman and Ryan White. They join the program and share their passion for using their lived experience to benefit others. They also describe the evolution of High Point Advocacy into an agency that uses evidence-based services, advocacy, and human connection to save lives.
May 14 · 1 hr
Cherene Caraco on Radical Leadership
Cherene Caraco is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Global Strategist of Promise Resource Network, or PRN. PRN is a community organization based in Mecklenburg County NC that proudly declares they are Survivor Led, Recovery Focused, and Wellness Driven. Members of the PRN community use their lived experience to serve others who have either been kicked out or opted out of traditional mental health and substance use treatments. Cherene herself has been involved in mental health services for over 33 years, both professionally and personally. She recently spoke at the SMART Recovery conference about her experience as a radical leader and her thoughts about working in the recovery field. In this podcast she expands upon the themes of living and working according to one's values, speaking truth to power, and building resilience in the midst of trauma.
April 30 · 40 min
SMART Is What You Do With The Rest Of Your Life
Rosana Panjon is a trained SMART Recovery facilitator and works as a certified Recovery Support Specialist for health organizations in Connecticut. She brings her lived experience and insight to her work with those seeking recovery in all kinds of situations. In this podcast, Rosana shares her personal stuggles with substances, cultural considerations in recovery, how she got involved in peer recovery work, and why she considers SMART to be such a powerful future-forward force in her life.
April 16 · 36 min
Recovery Is Best Not Done Alone
John Hayes is the Chief Executive Officer of Never Alone Recovery, an organization that connects individuals and families seeking help for addiction recovery with information, resources, and treatment options. They firmly believe that recovery is not one-size-fits-all and support multiple pathways to healing. In this podcast John shares some of his own journey, experiences he has had helping others find the right help for them, and why he considers it an honor to walk alongside those who are trying to live a new kind of life free from addictive behaviors.
March 18 · 37 min
A Brave New World of AI Recovery
The range of recovery support has been expanding rapidly at the intersection of an individual's personal experience and the larger world of AI recovery companions. To catch up with the latest trends and impact we welcomed Alex Weber of OpenRecovery, the Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships for this digital first recovery platform. OpenRecovery unapologetically declares, "Recovery should be accessible, effective, and engaging." They are also a strong supporter of SMART Recovery and have incorporated our self-empowering principles and practices into Kai, their AI companion.
March 11 · 45 min
Considering Problem Gambling
March is National Problem Gambling Awareness Month, an annual campaign aimed at increasing awareness of gambling-related risks, reducing stigma, and promoting prevention and supportive help. This episode features two guests: Kitty Martz, the Executive Director of the nonprofit Voices of Problem Gambling Recovery and Brian Ward, the organization's board president. Both Kitty and Brian share their journey of consequences that resulted from gambling activities and the positive role SMART Recovery has played in their lives. They also share their professional backgrounds and thoughts on providing accessible and affirming meetings that are highly inclusive of individuals working on compulsive behaviors unrelated to substance use. One insightful thought that was shared is the idea that attending support meetings can be seen as an effort to build a life you don't want to escape from, rather than the usual idea of "recovering a life" one has lost. And there are many more insights and interesting conversation in this episode. Enjoy! Additional Resources: Link to SMART Webinar on problem gambling and inclusion with Kitty Martz and Brian Ward National Problem Gambling Hotline
February 24 · 30 min
Helping Family & Friends in Recovery
Karen Bernetti is founder of Mindful Family Recovery, an organization dedicated to family recovery coaching, workshops, and building a supportive community for family and friends of those sturggling with addictive behaviors. She is also a SMART Recovery Family & Friends meeting facilitator and is involved with mindfulness efforts that include trauma-informed yoga and self-care practices. Karen also authored a blog post about language in recovery that sparked some productive conversations among SMART participants: The Words We Use: Why Saying "Addict" Helps Some People and Hurts Others. Click here for information on the 2026 SMART Conference in Orlando Florida April 9-10
February 4 · 33 min
SMART Tools Changed My Life with Joel Walkowski
Joel Walkowski facilitates SMART meetings in New York city, and is a huge proponent of using the practical tools that SMART provides as an effective way to navigate the stages of change in recovery. He unabashedly credits SMART with adding an incredible amount of substance to his journey of addressing trauma and substance use that ultimately led to homelessness. He is also the author of a recovery memoir called Honolulu Blues, which uses the lens of his love of the Detroit Lions football team to explore themes of family relationships, perserverance, and becoming the person you always wanted to be when you grew up.
January 26 · 38 min
All About the New and Improved SMART Facilitator Training!
After a ton of hard work, SMART Recovery completely revised our training program under the leadership of Gus Curran, SMART's Senior Director of Training and Program Development. As it has been rolled out to the SMART community, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. In this podcast Gus and Erin Clarke, the Director of L&D Client Relationships for Endurance Learning, our partner in this effort, talk about all aspects of the new training. This includes its origin and development, the challenges faced and overcome, how it has been such a great example of collaboration, and how it relates to SMART's 2026 focus on the idea of being increasingly accessible, adaptable, and affirming in all we do. Additional links: Webinar that features Gus and Erin: From Drab to Fab: Trick Out Your Existing Learning SMART Recovery Training Page
January 5 · 41 min
All in the Family Recovery
Jeff Jones is a licensed professional counselor who focuses on helping families navigate the road to recovery. He firmly believes that when families change, individuals change, and he runs an organization called The Family Recovery Solution In this podcast, Jeff talks about how he decided to focus on families, what other recovery pathways seem to miss when it comes to families, and the role of recovery nutrition in helping those who want to make positive changes.
Dec 17, 2025 · 32 min
Supercharge Your Recovery with Rick Kuplinski
Rick Kuplinski credits SMART Recovery with changing his life in profound ways. He says he has never been happier and more satisfied with his life since he started applying the principles and practices of self-empowered recovery. He started writing about his experiences in brief essays and has been a SMART Blog contributor since 2022. Now he has collected his essays and packaged it in a book called Supercharge Your Recovery: 30 Essays on Beating Addiction with SMART Recovery. In this podcast Rick talks about how he ended up reaching a point where he knew he had to make changes and why SMART worked for him when other pathways didn't. He shares his thoughts on the process of journaling and the need for reflection, and how he believes that you don't have to be a "writer" to benefit from writing.
Dec 4, 2025 · 42 min
Talking Research with Dr. Sarah Zemore and Pete Rubinas
When it comes to talking about research in the field of substance use and recovery, Dr. Sarah Zemore is always an excellent source of solid information. She has previously appeared on the program and now returns to talk about the latest research into some of the social and psychological aspects of treatment-seeking and recovery. Dr. Zemore has an extensive record of research on mutual-help groups for addiction and has led multiple studies that examine the nature, benefits, and mechanisms of action of all kinds of these groups, including SMART. Also joining the conversation is SMART's Executive Director Pete Rubinas. He offers SMART's perspective on the latest research and confirms the value of applying this research in pursuit of helping the most individuals possible. Helpful links: Alcohol Research Group Recent Study on Mutual Help Groups
Nov 24, 2025 · 36 min
I Look People in the Eyes...
Dre Richards is a SMART Facilitator in Edmonton, Canada. He also is the Executive Director and Founder of Healthy Aligined Living, a community agency serving youth who are facing mental health and substance use issues. In this podcast, Dre shares his personal journey to recovery, how he decided to address the negative behaviors that were impacting his life, and what he believes are the best ways to help youth who are facing the same challenges he once did.
Nov 19, 2025 · 39 min
Rooted In Hope Podcast featuring SMART's Jasmine Hilbert
SMART Recovery's Director of Outreach, Jasmine Hilbert, recently appeared on an Ohio-based podcast to share her recovery journey. In this special collaboration with the Rooted in Hope Podcast and Producer Kurt Kleidon, we proudly offer this episode here on our platform. About this podcast: Rooted in Hope is a podcast that shares the real tales of those who are impacted by substance use disorder or mental illness with the intention of breaking the stigma. We are rooted in Ohio and driven to make a difference in and around our state. Thanks to our allies at Rooted in Hope for permission to share this compelling story of a woman who had reached a point in her life where she didn't want this to be her narrative, so she rewrote her story.

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